Rear-end lock for bascule-bridges.



A. H. SCHERZERB REAR END LOOK FOR BASOULB BRIDGES.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 28. 1909.

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Patented Dec. 13, 1910.

A. H. SGHERZER. REAR END LOCK FOR BASOULE BRIDGES. APPLIoATzoN FILED11017.26. 1909.

978,493. Patented Dec. 13,1910.

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NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALBERT H. SCHERZER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

REAR-END LOCK FOR BASCULE-BRIDGES.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALBERT I-I. SoHERznR, a citizen of the UnitedStates, of the city of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State ofIllinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rear-EndLocks for` Bascule-Bridges; and I do hereby declare that the followingis a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had tothe accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference markedthereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to improvements in bascule or lift bridges of thekind embracing one or more movable spans or leaves which swing in avertical plane, and more especially to a locking mechanism for holdingthe swinging bridge in its closed or horizon-V tal position.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings as applied to abascule or lift bridge of that kind known as a rolling lift bridge, orone in which the span or leaf is provided with rolling segments restingoli stationary tracks or supports, and as applied to hold the rear endof the span or leaf from downward movement relatively to the bridgeabutment or approach structure. A locking device constituting myinvention may, however, beapplied to bascule bridges of other kinds thanrolling lift bridges, and may be used elsewhere than at the rear end ofthe span or leaf.

As shown in the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a detail,longitudinah vertical section taken centrally through the bridgestructure and the part of the bridge approach adjacent to the same,showing the parts thereof at the rear end of the span or leaf. Fig. 2 isa sectional view taken upon line 2-2 of Fig. 3 showing in elevation thelocking device for the rear end of the leaf and the parts at the lefthand side of the figure in vertical section. Fig. 3 is a detail sectiontaken upon the line 3-3 of Fig. 2. Fig. l is a detail side view of theworm gear through which the lock is operated. Fig. 5 is a detail view ofone of the locking detents and one of the eccentrics on which the sameis mounted, the rotative shafts carrying said eccentries being shown insection.

As shown in said drawings, A designates the leaf of a rolling liftbridge which comprises side trusses having upper and lower chords of.,al. The upper chords are horizontal and the lower chords of curved form.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Original application filed July 30, 1907, Serial No. 386,256. Dividedand this application filed November Serial No. 529,846.

Patented Dec. 13, 1910.

B designates one of the rolling segments by which the span is supported,the same being located exterior to the plane of the truss at the rearend of the leaf. Said rolling segments rest and roll on supportingtracks formed by the top surfaces of gir-ders, one of which is indicatedby C. Said girders are supported at their outer or forward ends on apier D and at their rear or inner ends on a pier D1. The leaf trussesextend rearwardly beyond the rolling segments B, toward the bridgeapproach, so that the leaf has a rearward extension which meets thestationary approach structure at a point over or adjacent to the pierD1, and said rear extension of the leaf falls as the front end of thespan rises. A space is provided for the descent of said rear extensionof the leaf at the central part of the pier D1, as plainly seen in Fig.1.

F indicates a counterweight which is attached to the rear extensionrearward of the rolling segments. This counterweight 0ccupies a spacebetween the upper and lower truss chords and extends transversely of theleaf or from side to side thereof. Said counterweight serves tocounterbalance the leaf in the usual manner, so as to permit of theraising and lowering of the leaf with the application of a minimumamount of power.

So far as above described, the construction illustrated in theaccompanying drawings corresponds with that shown in my separateapplication, Serial Number 386,256, tiled July 30th, 1907, of which thisapplication is a division.

The locking mechanism embodying my invention is intended for holding thebridge leaf in its closed position and acts on the rear end of the spanto hold the same from moving downwardly. As shown in the drawings, saidlocking device is mounted on the end of the approach structure adjacentto the rear extension of the bridge leaf which descends when the bridgeis opened and is located over the pier D1. Preferably, two lockingdevices will be used for each leaf, one located in the plane of eachtruss, as shown in the drawings.

As shown in the drawings, J .l indicate two oscillatory arms or lockingdetents and K a horizontal, rotative shaft, on which said detents aremounted. Said shaft extends transversely of the approach structure belowthe level ofthe approach and is mounted in forwardly projecting bracketsK1, K1 attached to the approach structure. The detents J, J are mountedone on each end of said shaft K. Each arm or detent, J has its free orswinging end directed upwardly and outwardly from the shaft and isadapted to swing or oscillate toward and from the rear end of the leafabout said shaft K. Said detent when in its locking position is adaptedto come beneath and engage a downwardly facing stop shoulder formed on aprojection L on the rear end of the leaf structure; the said free end ofsaid locking detent being arranged to be swung rearwardly to theposition shown in dotted lilies in Fig. 3, and thereby disengaged fromsaid locking projection L to permit the rear end of the leaf to swingdownwardly for opening the bridge. Said locking detent not only hasoscillatory movement but is also movable endwise, means being providedfor moving it endwise toward and from the stop shoulder on the leaf, sothat it may be pressed and held against said stop shoulder with theeffect of taking up all lost motion in the parts and holding the leaffirmiy and rigidly in its locked position.

Each detent J embraces two parallel arms j, attached to laterallyseparated hubs jl, jl

ywhich surround the shaft K at opposite sides of bracket K1, whichconsists as shown, of vertical plates attached to upright angle bars 1,/t on the approach structure, The outer ends of said arms j, j areconnected by a steel filling piece jg, by which the arms are connectedwith each other and which affords a wide bearing face on the end of thedetent for engagement with the stop shoulder on the bridge leaf. Thehubs jl, jl of the detent are provided with bearing apertures whichsurround and are adapted to turn upon eccentrics M, M, secured to theshaft K at opposite sides of the bracket K1. Said shaft K is shown asprovided, between the eccentrics M, M with a concentric collar 71,11somewhat larger in diameter than thc said. eccentrics and which fits andturns in a sleeve i" which extends through the circular opening in thevertical plates constituting the bracket K and is provided at one endwith a flange 'Z22 and at its opposite end with a ring 7c3. Said flangeand ring are located at opposite sides of the bracket plates and aresecured thereto by rivets or bolts which extend through the flange andsaid4 ring. Mounted on the said shaft K, adjacent to one of the hubs j]of each detent J is a collar'hT provided with a radial rigid arm a. Thecollar N is preferably a split collar made of two parts which areclamped to the shaft K by clamping bolts. Said arm n is adapted, whenthe shaft is turned, to engage a stop pin j* which is secured in theadjacent arm j of the detent and projects laterally therefrom into thepath of said The eccentrics M, M arranged as described operate to giveendwise movement to the detent J, so as to move it toward and withdrawit from the stop projection L in the bridge leaf. rlfhe parts are soarranged that when the arm n is swung to a position at the side of theshaft opposite or remote from the detent, the latter will be in itsadvanced p0- sition, as shown in full lines in Fig. 3, it beingunderstood that the said eccentrics are so arranged that their portionsof greatest eccentricity are directed toward the free end of said detentwhen the latter is engaged with the stop projection of the bridge spanand is in its advanced position.

Any suitable means may be employed for giving rotative movement to theshaft K as required for operating the locking device; that illustratedconsisting of a worm wheel O attached to one end of said shaft, a wormo1 mounted on a transverse shaft O1 and a driving shaft P arrangedparallel with the shaft K and having at one end a beveled gear wheel y)which intermeshes with a beveled gear wheel 0 on the worm shaft O1 (Fig. 4). The shaft K may be driven from any suitable source of poweradapted to give rotative movement thereto in opposite directions.

The operation of this device is as follows: Assuming the locking detentto be in its locking position, as shown in full lines, Fig. 3, to effectthe unlocking of the span the shaft K will be rotated in the directionof the arrow in said Fig. 3, or in the direction in which the saiddetent is moved to carry its free end away from the stop L. The firsteffect of the rotation of the shaft is to turn the eccentrics M, M insuch a manner as to withdraw the free end of the detent from engagementwith the stop L. The said shaft K makes substantially a half rotationfor the purpose of effecting the withdrawal of the detent through theaction of said eccentrics. After the detent has been released from thestop projection by the action of the eccentrics, the radial arm u whichturns with the shaft, strikes the pin jt on the detent and therebythrows the same rearwardly or away from the stop projection. In thisposition, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 8, the detent is freefrom the stop projection and the bridge leaf. A reversal of the rotationof the shaft K operates first to swing said radial arm n downward andaway from the pin j* on the detent, this permitting the detent to swingby gravity into its locking position where it is arrested by engagementwith a stop, shown as formed by a shoulder Z on the projection L.Thereafter, the rotation of the shaft operates through the eccentrics tothrust the locking detent to its uppermost position and against the stopproj ection L on the bridge leaf; the said detent being thereby broughtrmly into contact with the said stop, so as t0 take up all lost motionin the parts and to hold the bridge leaf firmly in its lowered position.

In practice a locking device embodying my invention may be variouslymodified from the particular construction shown in the accompanying`drawings, and I do not wish to be limited to the specific detailsillustrated except so far as the same constitute the subject-mattei' ofcertain of the appended claims.

I claim as my invention l. In a bascule bridge the combination with aswinging bridge leaf having at the rear of its support an extensionwhich moves downwardly when the leaf is opened, of a locking devicecomprising a locking detent mounted on the bridge approach adapted forengagement with a downwardly facing stopshoulder on said extension ofthe leaf, said detent having oscillatory movement about its lower end tocarry its upper end into and out of engagement with said shoulder andalso having endwise movement for pressing it upwardly against saidshoulder.

Q. In a bascule bridge the combination with a swinging bridge leafhaving at the rear of its support an extension which moves downwardlywhen the leaf is opened and which is provided with a downwardly facingstop-shoulder, of a locking device comprising a locking detent adaptedto engage said downwardly facing shoulder, said locking detent havingoscillatory movement about its lower end to carry its upper end into andout of engagement with said stop-shoulder and also having endwisemovement for pressing -it against the said shoulder, means adapted togive endwise movement to said detent, and means for giving swingingmovement to said detent.

3. In a bascule bridge the combination with a swinging bridge leafhaving at the rear of its support an extension which moves downwardlywhen the leaf is opened and with a downwardly facing stop-shoulder onsaid extension, a locking device comprising a locking detent havingoscillatory movement about its lower end to carry its upper end into andout of engagement with said stop-shoulder and also having endwisemovement for pressing it against said stop-shoulder, a rotative shaftmounted on the bridge approach on which said detent is eccentricallymounted and which by its rotary movement gives endwise movement to thedetent, and means for giving swinging movement to said detent.

4. In a bascule bridge the combination with a swinging bridge leafhaving at the rear of :its support an extension which moves downwardlywhen the leaf is opened and a downwardly facing stop-shoulder on saidextension, of a locking device comprising a locking detent havingoscillatory movement about its lower end to carry its upper end into andout of engagement with said stopshoulder and also having endwisemovement for pressing it against said stop-shoulder, a rotative,horizontal shaft mounted on the approach structure, said detent beingeccentrically mounted on said shaft, which latter by its rotary movementgives endwise movement to the detent, and means ope 'ated by the turningof said shaft for giving oscillatory movement to said detent.

5. In a bascule bridge the combination Awith a swinging bridge leafhaving at the rear of its'support an extension which moves downwardlywhen the leaf is opened and a downwardly facing stop-shoulder on saidextension, a locking detent having oscillatory movement about its lowerend to carry its upper end into and out of engagement with the saidstop-shoulder and also having endwise movement for pressing it upwardlyagainst the said stop-shoulder, a fixed bearing on the approachstructure, a horizontal rotative shaft supported in said bearing,eccentrics attached to said shaft at opposite sides of the bearing, saidswinging detent having two arms which are severally engaged with thesaid eccentrics, which latter are adapted to give endwise movement tothe detent on the turning of said shaft, and means operated by theturning of said shaft for giving oscillatory movement to the upper endof said detent.

6. In a bascule bridge, the combination with a swinging bridge leaf,having at the rear of its support an extension which moves downwardlywhen the leaf is opened, of a locking device comprising a horizontalrotative shaft mounted on the bridge approach, and an oscillatory andendwise movable locking detent mounted eccentrically on said shaft, andwhich is given endwise movement by a rotary movement of said shaft, saiddetent being adapted for engagement at its swinging end with adownwardly facing stop shoulder on the leaf.

In testimony, that I claim the foregoing as my invention I atlix mysignature in the presence of two witnesses, this 15th day of November A.D. 1909.

ALBERT i-i. scnnnznn.

Vitnesses T. I-I. ALFnEDs, CLARENCE E. MEHLI-iorn.

